Fridays are awesome. It’s the last work day of the week for most. It’s typically the day on which most people get paid. And, perhaps most importantly, Ice Cube starred in a move named after the day.

So, with Friday being the coolest day of the week, we thought we’d supplement it with a blog entry on the hottest items we sell: stoves.

If you’re new to camping stoves, I’m sure you’ve discovered that selecting one can be a pretty complicated process. Our goal today is to make that process a little less complicated by offering a little guideline illustrating some of the main differences between canister stoves and liquid fuel.

We’ll begin with liquid fuel stoves. This type of stove is popular among cold-weather campers (people who camp in temperatures 32 degrees F or less), as most canister stoves don’t perform well in colder conditions; the fuel decompresses, leading to weak or no flame. There are many other advantages to this type of stove, as well, so by no means is it limited to colder-weather campers. For one, the fuel is typically much cheaper than that of canister stoves. Also, as the fuel canister sits next to the burner, liquid fuel stoves tend to have a lower center of gravity and are therefore more stable than most canister stoves. Finally, they’re less wasteful, in that a) you only have to carry the amount of fuel you need and b) you won’t have to worry about discarding the fuel canister; it can be reused.

With all of these benefits, I’m sure you’re asking yourself why anyone would choose a canister stove. Well, let me answer that. While liquid fuel stoves do have many great benefits, there are certainly some drawbacks, as well. For one, they’re heavier than your average canister stove. They’re generally bulkier, as well. They also require more maintenance than canister stoves do. While canister stoves are as simple as attaching the canister to the burner and turning it on, liquid fuel stoves require you to prime the burner before igniting the stove, which can be a bit of a process if you’re not used to it. There are other advantages canister stoves offer, as well: the fuel burns cleaner, so less maintenance is required; they’re virtually spill proof; it’s typically easier to control the flame.

So, when making your final decision as to which type of stove to buy, be sure to consider all of these advantages and disadvantages. Also keep in mind that any stove purchased from MPGear is built to last, so remember to think beyond your upcoming trip when deciding which stove to buy. While your next trip may be in warm, dry conditions, will you be traveling in different climate conditions within the next 5 years?

We hope this little tutorial comes in handy and makes your decision a little easier. If, however, you still need help deciding, please don’t hesitate to give one of us MPGeeks a call; we’d be more than happy to assist you.
Enjoy your weekend, and we’ll see you next week!